September 2023
Early Childhood Community Liaison Newsletter
Message from the Liaison (Brooke Sieg, PCSD 6)
Liaison Program Schedule and Information
All programs are FREE and open to children of ALL ages!! Attending any of these programs is a great way to support and extend the learning your child is already doing at his/her preschool or at home. Please note that parents must remain in the classroom for the duration of each program and are expected to be active participants with their child(ren). Be sure to download the September schedule below!
Literacy Corner
Hi everyone!! I have been in education for over 16 years. I have experience as a classroom teacher, interventionist, paraeducator, and grant coordinator. Currently, I am the Park 6 elementary literacy coach. Although my first passion is working with students, I am so excited about this opportunity and being able to support my colleagues and community as we continue to implement research supported literacy practices. In my free time my family loves to travel, camp, cook, and read. I am looking forward to a year of learning and growth.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions: katiemccue@park6.org
Mindful Math
Help Children Understand the Meaning of Counting
Teaching children to count involves more than helping them learn the numbers one to ten. It involves helping children understand the meaning of numbers.
Children learn the meaning of numbers when they are developmentally ready. For instance, children ages two to three might move things as they count, but they might count to three while moving four things. This shows that while they might know the numbers in sequence, they are not able to use them to count. At this age, it's great to count together with a child, just for fun. You might count the steps as you walk up them or the buses as they go by. This helps children begin to move towards matching one thing at a time with the number as they say it.
Three- to four-year-olds are still learning to understand quantity. While they can count up to five, they are growing in their understanding of what numbers really mean. By age four to six, children can match the numbers one to ten with ten items; this means they are really counting with meaning. They can solve simple problems, such as how many cookies you will need for each person to have one. By the time children reach the ages of five to seven, they can count items and match them; for example, putting five stamps on five letters.
You can help your child learn to count by making counting a fun part of your day. Count socks as you sort them; count the juice boxes in your refrigerator; count the cars and buses going by. The more experience children have with counting, the more they will learn the meaning of numbers. Understanding the meaning of numbers takes experience with counting lots of things, and you can help by giving your child this experience regularly.
For more information, visit the Better Kid Care website, sponsored by PennState Extension.
Book Nook (Holly Baker, Cody Public Library)
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month.... Do your kids have their own?! Getting a library card is the best way to start the school year out right. We'll be happy to get your kids signed up next time you visit (a parent/guardian must be present with ID).
BBCOW Fun Facts (Alex Martin, School Programs and Curriculum Specialist)
Hi local families! My name is Alex—I work in the Education Department at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. I look forward to seeing your kiddos here at the museum throughout their schooling!
The museum currently has a program for FREE ADMISSION for all Park County Youth! Local kids (all ages through high school), plus one accompanying adult, get into the Center free for the next year. Bring your young learners over and inspire a journey of wonder, discovery, and creativity.
We also do free tours for Park County schools, including homeschool groups! You can find more information and lots of other education resources, on our website. Please feel free to email me with any questions!
Counselor Corner (PCSD 6 Sunset Elementary School Counselor, Linda Baumstarck)
Toothy Truths (Cody Dental Excellence)
DFS Info (Department of Family Services)
Park County Sheriff's Office
SAFETY BRIEF
Don’t Leave Kids, Pets, or Even Grandma(pa) in Hot Cars
On a sunny day it may be in the high 70s outside, but a vehicle parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees and over 160 degrees if parked in the sun. A vehicle can heat up 20 degrees in ten minutes. Every year children and pets succumb to heat stroke and suffocation in overly hot vehicles. An average of thirty-eight children per year, under the age of fifteen, die from heat stroke after being left in a hot vehicle.
Heatstroke in a human can begin when the body reaches approximately 104 degrees, a child can die at a core temperature of 107 degrees. A child’s temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult, so even “just a few minutes” in the grocery store can have tragic outcomes.
• Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended — even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running, and the air conditioning is on.
• Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — front and back — before locking the door and walking away. Train yourself to Park, Look, Lock, or always ask yourself, “Where’s Baby?”
• Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
• Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before you lock. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
• Always lock your car doors and trunk, year-round, so children can’t get into unattended vehicles. Store car keys out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
The mature are also at a greater risk of succumbing to heat stroke. An aging body has a decreased capacity to adapt to changes in body temperature. The beginning phases of heat stroke can cause confusion and loss of consciousness, making for a dangerous situation for the elderly. While adults are more aware of the risks and are more likely to take precautions it’s always best to address the possibility before an emergency happens.
It only takes a minute for a pet in a hot vehicle to be adversely affected by the heat, even with the window rolled down. Animals can sustain brain damage and even die in as little as fifteen minutes. Dogs can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paw pads, this makes it impossible to regulate their body heat in a hot car.
• Leave your dog at home on warm days.
• On trips with your pet, bring plenty of fresh drinking water and bowl.
• Be aware of hot metal on a vehicle (bed of a truck) that can burn a dog’s paws.
• Take the dog into the shade, an air-conditioned area, or to the vet if you see signs of heat exhaustion, which include restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, dark tongue, rapid pulse, fever, vomiting, glazed eyes, dizziness, or lack of coordination. To lower body temperature gradually give the animal water to drink, place a cold towel or ice pack on the head, neck and chest, and/or immerse the dog in cool (not cold) water. Call your veterinarian.
For more information, please visit the Park County Sheriff's Office website.
Contact Info
Email: brookesieg@park6.org
Website: www.park6.org
Location: 919 Cody Avenue, Cody, WY, USA
Phone: (307) 272-0153
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057666729007